


A Million People

by holy_smokes



Category: Cobra Starship, The Academy Is...
Genre: Angst, M/M, Podfic Welcome, Self-Esteem Issues, Weight Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 09:44:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6149524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy_smokes/pseuds/holy_smokes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabe has always hated how insecure Bill is about his appearance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Million People

**Author's Note:**

> Cobra Starship/The Academy Is... Oneshot. Gabilliam (William (Bill) Beckett/Gabe Saporta) if you squint. Loosely inspired by an interview Bill did a couple of years ago for the Warped Tour on how he hated people commenting on his weight/height. Set before both the Cobra and TAI... breakups.
> 
> I (sadly) do not own any of the real people mentioned in this fic, nor do I claim that any of the following events/places/beliefs etc are anything but fiction. Please do not harass anyone related to this fic, and if anyone featured in this fic has any objections to its presence on this site, I'm perfectly willing to remove it immediately.

 

Gabe has always hated how insecure Bill is about his appearance.

For as long as Gabe's known him, Bill's been self-conscious about his height, his weight, his looks. It's even evident in the way Bill holds himself; slouching slightly so nobody notices his height, curling in on himself to appear less thin. Gabe absolutely hates it. Hates that Bill cannot see how perfect he truly is. Sometimes he kind of wants to shake Bill until he sees how Gabe does. Usually he just wants to punch whichever asshole made Bill think he's anything but beautiful.

Today's been a prime example of the latter.

He, VickyT, Sisky and Bill were invited to do an interview to promote the Warped Tour earlier this morning. The interview had been going smoothly - at least it had been until the reporter had made the mistake of mentioning Bill's weight. It hadn't been anything big, just an offhand comment, but it'd been enough. Enough for Bill to freeze, for his jaw to clench and his face to shut down. Thankfully Vicky'd had the sense to subtly direct the conversation to a less sensitive topic, but the damage had already been done.

Bill had remained closed-off and monosyllabic for the remainder of the interview and ride back, disappearing into his band's trailer almost as soon as they arrived.

Nobody'd even questioned whether Gabe was going to follow. They were Gabe and Bill. It's just what they did.

**********

Gabe finds Bill curled up on his bunk on _TAI..._ 's bus. He's got his headphones on, music blaring so loud that Gabe can hear the tinny beat from where he stands. For a second, he hesitates to approach the younger boy - Bill can get really bitchy when he's upset - but then he looks again at the rigidness to Bill's form, the careful blankness to Bill's face that he always has when he's truly upset. It really isn't much of a decision once he sees that. He drops to his knees to join Bill in the small bunk, squeezing in next to him until they are pressed tight together. Bill doesn't relax from his tense posture, but he doesn't move away either, so Gabe counts it as a win.

"Bill?" He tries, knocking Bill's knee with his own. Bill ignores him.

"Bill, come on." Gabe repeats, louder this time. There's no way Bill can't hear him, even with his music, but there's still no answer.

Fuck this, Gabe thinks. He reaches out, and before Bill has a chance to react, disconnects the headphones and pockets the phone in one motion. Bill predictably throws off his headphones with a scowl. But he doesn't then launch into one of his rants like 'Haven't you ever heard of personal space?' or 'Don't touch my stuff, Saporta' (It's kind of ridiculous how Gabe knows all of Bill's speeches off by heart. He thinks Bill secretly enjoys giving them). No. Instead Bill just glares at Gabe's sneakers and stays silent.

"Bill?" Gabe says softly, nudging Bill again with his knee.

"Fuck off, Gabe." Bill sounds defeated and tired and _God_ how Gabe hates it. Hates how a few misjudged comments by a stranger can leave his best friend sounding so fucking miserable.

"Bill." Gabe tries again. No answer. Bill just curls in on himself further, if that's even possible. _"Bill."_

"I just fucking hate it." Bill scowls at Gabe's sneakers, still refusing to meet his eyes. Gabe doesn't speak, just waits for Bill to continue. "You know. How - How just 'cause I'm a guy in a rock band I have to be all -" He makes a flaily hand gesture towards Gabe that Gabe has to avoid getting hit in the face from. The 'like you' goes unsaid. Gabe suddenly feels terribly guilty, even though he knows it isn't directly his fault. "It makes me so fucking _pissed._ And just because I'm too tall and too skinny and too damn girly I have to be gay or whatever." Bill sighs, resting his head on Gabe's shoulder. His next few words come out as little more than a whisper, ghosting across Gabe's jaw. ( ~~Gabe has to fight to quell the twisting in his stomach at this~~ ). "Why can't I just be _me?"_

Before he has time to process his actions, Gabe's reaching for Bill, pulling him into a tight hug. It's kind of awkward because of the bunk and all, but Bill doesn't pull away. Instead the younger boy melts into it and buries his head into Gabe's neck. "Anyone who believes that is a dick, Bill." Gabe tells him, his words coming out slightly muffled by Bill's hair.

 _"Everyone_ believes that, Gabe."

"Well then everyone's a dick." Gabe retorts. He ignores Bill's small huff of laughter at that. "You're perfect, dude, and everyone who matters knows that. Like, ask Pete. Does he care when anyone talks shit about him?"

"Yeah, but that's 'cause he's got Patrick to kick anyone's ass who does."

Gabe nods. That's true - Patrick is ridiculously intimidating for someone the size of a garden gnome. He's been on the receiving end of his glares too many times to underestimate the small guy. "Well yeah, but you've got _me._ " He says, and - before his mind has time to catch up to what he's fucking _doing_ , Jesus _Christ -_ he's leaning down and kissing the top of Bill's head.

He can tell Bill felt it by the way he tenses, and Gabe honestly considers pounding his head in on the wall behind them. God, how old does he need to get before he learns to _think_ before he does shit? Fucking hell.

Thankfully, after a couple of beats of silence, Bill just laughs slightly awkwardly, detangling himself from Gabe. (a feat easier said than done, considering the fact that they were both too tall for the bunk on their own, let alone with the two of them) and crawling out of the bunk. Gabe can hear Bill's footsteps receding into the kitchen, and his laugh in response to something Sisky says.

And apparently that's their talk over.

Bill does this; he lets himself be comforted until he's either feeling better or gets sick of the attention then just wanders off without a word. Bill's been doing this for as long as Gabe's known him, and it never stops being as annoying as hell.

He stays there for a couple of minutes, replaying their conversation back to himself in his head. He's pretty sure Bill's okay now, but the guy's so damn hard to read, he could still be upset for all Gabe knows. Eventually he gives up, joining the rest of _TAI..._ outside in chasing Carden down the streets outside of their trailer. (Gabe has no idea why. Honestly, so much drama goes on in this band that it could be anything. He's long since given up on trying to figure out the goings-on of _The Academy Is..._ ). It's fun, sure, but he can't help watching Bill out of the corner of his eye for some hint of how the younger boy's feeling. Just in case.

**************

Much later, when Gabe's about to head back to his trailer for the night, Bill comes up and hugs him. This in itself isn't a big deal, but then Bill leans up and whispers a faint _thanks_ in his ear before brushing his lips over Gabe's cheek and walking off to his bunk. Gabe can feel himself blush a deep scarlet, the spot where Bill kissed him stinging. He tries to ignore the Butcher's wolf whistle. (Honestly, why is he even friends with these people?)

He figures everything's okay.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make me very happy :)


End file.
